title: Fatal measles virus infection prevented by brain-penetrant fusion inhibitors.
abstract: Measles virus (MV) infection causes an acute childhood disease that can include infection of the central nervous system and can rarely progress to severe neurological disease for which there is no specific treatment. We generated potent antiviral peptide inhibitors of MV entry and spreading and MV-induced cell fusion. Dimers of MV-specific peptides derived from the C-terminal heptad repeat region of the MV fusion protein, conjugated to cholesterol, efficiently protect SLAM transgenic mice from fatal MV infection. Fusion inhibitors hold promise for the prophylaxis of MV infection in unvaccinated and immunocompromised people, as well as potential for the treatment of grave neurological complications of measles.
authors.affiliation: International Center for Research in Infectious Diseases-CIRI, INSERM U1111, CNRS UMR5308, ENS-Lyon, University of Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Jeremy C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Welsch
authors.forename: Aparna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Talekar
authors.forename: Cyrille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mathieu
authors.forename: Antonello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pessi
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moscona
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Horvat
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Porotto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D008457:Measles / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology; D008459:Measles virus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053586:Virus Internalization / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins